a small sampling of my music
Dig in, listen, read, enjoy. But keep in mind that what you find here this what it is, and isn't what it can't be. I'm always reaching for the next level, honing my craft, and writing new material. Website content can never tell the whole story, or replace the opportunity to share music in person with an audience. (See the Worship page for additional music samples.)

Songs for This Time, This Place
My home page describes the reality of cancer in my life right now. One of my goals for my post-recovery period (if and when it comes) is the release of my second CD. This will be a collection of various songs I've recorded over the years. Many of these were done pretty spontaneously--they're a bit rough around the edges, but they have a certain charm I find appealing. I'm posting mp3 files of two of these songs, as they serve very well as examples a couple of the many directions I like to go with my music when I sit down with my guitars, my bass, and my voice (though it should be said, I generally stand up to sing). But beyond the musical elements, they also are sincere statements of the faith I have in the God who continues to give me peace in this time, this place. -- Tim

• I've Been Crowned (listen)
  I went for kind of a "front porch pickin' session" feel on this one--not that I've ever had a porch, much less had a jam session on one. And I'm actually jamming with myself (three guitars and a bass). But that was the intention, at least. (I hope that listening to this will make it obvious, but in case not: I had a very good time playing this one.)
  

• I Am Yours  (listen)
  I recorded this soon after I wrote it in 2003 with just an acoustic guitar, a bass, and an electric guitar performance with live looping. I edited it down slightly and re-recorded the vocals more recently.

This is a song I wrote in January 2007 while in the hospital for chemo treatment. I was think back to the previous April when I almost died. I was in intensive care for ten days, and not really very conscious for much of that time. My wife Lori was my steadfast voice in the world, and my faithful, patient caregiver, as she has continued to me. I got to thinking of the sort of song I might have written to here from that state (if I were capable of writing while unconscious--I don't claim to be that good) and this is what came out very quickly. Once I got into it I realized the song could also apply just as well to any separated from the one they love for other reasons. The situation that came to mind is the soldiers in Iraq.

I don't write many love songs, but this is certainly one--simple and heartfelt.

• When I'm On The Other Side  (listen)

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The Debut CD Release: Another Season Ten songs--raw, acoustic, intimate written, performed, and produced by Tim Helmen Fall Into Miracle Music (FIM01001) Audio clips below are downloadable, not streaming, so they can be a bit slow. If you just can't wait that long to hear them, you will find streaming audio clips of all songs (2 minutes per song, almost half of the entire CD!,) at CDBaby.com, where you can also purchase the CD. Dance You A Story (FULL SONG mp3!)   Room For Cream (mp3 clip) Unchallenged Echoes (mp3 clip) Long Shot (mp3 clip) Run With The Saints (FULL SONG mp3) Another Season (mp3 clip) When The Phone Rings (mp3 clip) Mercy Is The Blood Of God (mp3 clip) The Visitor (mp3 clip) The Name On The Stone (mp3 clip) Tim Helmen's song-by-song comments on "Another Season" An extensive interview of Tim Helmen by Jason Gray including discussion of "Another Season" Praise for "Another Season": "Tim Helmen's CD gives you exactly what you get when you go to hear him live: voice, guitar, original, thoughtful songwriting. Hopefully you are paying attention to the lyrics as you're listening. Tim's lyrics offer insightful looks at the people and world around him, with a touch of inspiration." --Wendy V, Local Blend For Brian A. Smith of the Phantom Tollbooth, "Another Season" calls to mind Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits), T-Bone Burnett, Nate Houge, and Bob Dylan, and is worth 3 1/2 out of 5 tocks. Read the review here.

To take some burden off of my wife while I am undergoing cancer treatment, I am not offering a direct mail order option for buying the CD right now, but am making it available for purchase exclusively through through the amazing independent music superstore CDBaby.com here: For those who digital files, you can also buy the album or selected tracks in mp3 format here: http://www.mp3tunes.com/TimHelmen or at (among many others): ITunes Rhapsody Sympatico MSN Music

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A Song For Christmas
For the Christmas season, I thought I'd post one from the "vaults": a 2004 recording of "In The Bleak Midwinter" featuring my then ten-year-old daughter Elaina on vocals. This one went pretty quickly. I sat down at the keyboard and improvised an accompaniment. Then I spent a lot of time getting set up to get Elaina's vocal down, a process I thought might take a while. She nailed it on the first take.

• In The Bleak Midwinter (listen)
  Elaina Helmen (10 years old) - vocal, Tim Helmen - keyboard

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Awake My Heart
In the late 1980's and early 1990's, I had the great privilege of making music with a (mostly) instrumental jazz group called Awake My Heart. Robb Krueger played saxophones, Lynn Kitzerow Petersen played keyboards, and the drum chair was filled first by Terry Schultz and later by Joe McBride. Robb, Lynn and I all wrote for the band. 

AMH played a mix of original compositions and original arrangements of traditional Christian hymns. Some of my most treasured musical memories are bound up with the friends and music of Awake My Heart.

• The Upper Room (listen)
  This is an original piece of mine, meant to capture some of the emotion of the night before Jesus' crucifixion, as he celebrated Passover with his friends and instituted the blessed meal of his body and blood.
  Robb Krueger - soprano sax, Lynn Kitzerow Petersen - piano, Tim Helmen - bass, Joe McBride - drums. Recorded April 4, 1993

• My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less (listen)
  I brought in this arrangement of this great hymn on the church, using the melody Robb plays on tenor. Lynn added to it her take on another melody used to set this text (a melody which I think is shared with the U.S. Navy hymn). This one was always a lot of fun to play.
  Robb Krueger - Tenor sax, Lynn Kitzerow Petersen - piano, Tim Helmen - bass, Joe McBride - drums. Recorded in (I think) 1994.

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Wedding Music
When I married my wife Lori in 1993, I composed all the music for our wedding. We were honored to have it performed by two dear friends. Here's a bit of what I wrote.

• Wedding Processional (listen)

• Isaiah 33:6 (This was our wedding verse) (listen)
  Lynn Kitzerow Petersen - piano and vocal, Robb Krueger - soprano sax and vocal.  Recorded June 5, 1993

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Live Solo Recordings
Here are a couple of live recordings from my 4-15-2005 performance at Dunn Bros Xerxes in Minneapolis. Here's the deal: show up at a show and you may end up with your voice--or the sound of your hands clapping--on the web. Stay at home, and you miss your shot at international recognition...

• Got To Name The Monkey (listen)
  A fun little audience-participation number. They sang so well, next time I'll have to mic them better.
  
• Bigger Than All Of This (listen)
  Done by request--The war in Iraq and the 2004 presidential election brought out a few songs from my pen; this was one of the last ones, trying to find some perspective on it that went beyond anger and frustration.

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Projects with Gene Adams
Trumpeter Gene Adams passed away on April 11, 2005 at the age of 68. Gene played a huge role in my development as a musician. When I was a 15-year old guitar player with hardly any chops and probably even less understanding of jazz, I first encountered Gene when I showed up for a Jazz Workshop he was leading at one of Minneapolis' park facilities. (Thanks to my Mom for spotting that listing and encouraging me to go.) I ended up being involved with the Jazz Workshops in various forms for many years. Gene had a special passion for involving and encouraging young people in the music. Everyone, from novices to pros, got to play a part. Gene had a very open view about jazz and what it could be; he would make something happen from whatever combination of elements were there that day. And his own playing was soulful, swinging, inspired, confident, playful and always taking chances.

I learned a great deal about playing music from Gene's example and the support, encouragement, and community he provided. I will miss him. Reflecting on his passing, I realized that when I first met Gene, he was only 2-3 years older than I am right now. That really gets me thinking about my own responsibilities towards the next generation.

In the mid 1980's, I spent sometime making some recordings with a friend of mine, Robert (Rahbyn) Cox III. He had some musical ideas he wanted to pursue; I fleshed them out, added my own concepts, and produced and engineered the project on my little Fostex X-15 4-track cassette multi-track recorder. For a couple of these projects, we brought in Gene Adams to play some trumpet and flugelhorn. Gene's recent passing reminded me of these tunes, and I thought I would post them here. My musical connection with Gene goes far beyond what you hear here, but I do treasure these recordings for his involvement, besides the fact that I think they hold up pretty nicely. (Credits are as best I can remember.)

• Snowblind - (listen)
  Rahbyn came up with the idea for this tune while driving in white-out blizzard conditions.

Credits:
written by Rahbyn Cox, Gene Adams, and Tim Helmen
Gene Adams: Trumpet
Rahbyn Cox: drum machine program, possibly some of of the keyboards
Tim Helmen: keyboards, keyboard bass, electronic percussion, acoustic guitar, vocal percussion, cymbals, arranging, engineering, mixing

• Tenaya's Groove - (listen)
  This was intended to musically portray a day in the life of Rahbyn's little girl, Tenaya. I still like the various moods this travels through. I remember Gene was excited about working on the solo section, where we multi-tracked him on both trumpet and flugelhorn and he dueted with himself. (He got a twinkle in his eye about this, as one of his heroes, Miles Davis, had just done this on his most recent disc, Decoy). I like the fire in the "duet" section, and the majestic swing in Gene's playing on the single-horn part that comes out of it. This session was one where I really felt like a producer, directing others in realizing my vision, and I remember feeling very honored to be working with Gene in this context.

Credits:
written by Rahbyn Cox and Tim Helmen
Gene Adams: trumpet and flugelhorn
Harold (can't remember his last name): flute on reprise of opening theme and outro solo
Tim Helmen: keyboards (bass, marimba, steel drums, flute, pads), drum machine programming, electric guitar, arranging, engineering, mixing

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Bill Mallonee/Vigilantes of Love Tribute
In late 1994, folks on the Vol-list, dedicated to discussion of the music of Bill Mallonee (late of Vigilantes of Love, aka VoL) organized a project where some of us would record covers of Bill's songs for inclusion on a grassroots tribute CD. There were fewer final contributions than originally committed to, so as of this writing it doesn't look like the CD is going to happen. Here's my contribution.

• Skin (listen)
  The original version of Vol's Blister Soul, is an exquisite waltz with a haunting fiddle part. I knew I couldn't touch that magic, so I went a completely different route, a kind of rock 'n' soul review thing. That's me on everything--vocal, a bunch of guitars, bass, keyboards (tenor sax and trombone) and drum programming (my first project with a new machine). I'm particularly fond of the guitar solos.

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